Cup forming machine



C. .J. COPPOLA CUP FORMING MACHINE April 26, 1949.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 2, 1947 R O T N E V m irbn ATTORNEYS April 1949- c. J. COPPOLA CUP FORMING MACHINE 2 She ets-Sheet 2 Filed May 2, 1947 b QEECEEZE E 2 w 1 d 7 o 1 l 6 34 INVENTOR dfiarlas Zia/pale BY ATTORN EY5 Patented Apr. 26,1949

CUP FORMING 'MACHINE Charles J. Coppola, New York, N. Y., assignor to Chas. A. Schieren Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 2, 1947, Serial No. 745,671

Claims. 1

This invention relates to apparatus for forming leather cups, and more particularly to a machine in which a disc of leather is shaped to form a packing cup.

The machine forming the subject matter of the invention consists essentially of upper and lower die members, operated by suitable means, such as air pressure, between which a leather disc is placed and shaped to form the bottom and flange of a leather packing cup.

An object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character in which all of the working parts are contained in the upper and lower cylinders. A machine so built can be more efficiently operated than similar machines heretofore available and the output of such a machine is greater.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character in which separate control valves are provided for the upper and lower cylinders. Such construction is more sensitive to the various thicknesses and consistencies of leather than a machine in which a single control valve is provided. It can compensate for variance in leather by operating the top cylinder to allow for such variance. Frequently, due to the stretching characteristics of leather, the cups will vary in height and this can be compensated for by increasing the pressure in the upper cylinder.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a machine for molding cups with or without an opening in the bottom of the cup. Machines heretofore employed for this purpose were incapable of molding a disc having a central opening and thus, when cups having a central opening were desired, as is most often true, it was necessary to form the opening in the finished cup by a separate operation.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this show- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan view;

Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view in the same plane as Fig. 3 showing the position of the parts when the lower die has moved upwardly and engaged the upper die;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the parts in the next step in the sequence of operation;

a Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the discs prior to molding; and

Fig. 7 is a similar view of the finished cup.

2 Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 2 represents the base of the machine on which the lower cylinder 4 is mounted. The cylinder may be secured to the base in any suitable manner as by bolts 6 (see Fig. 3). A piston 8 is mounted in the cylinder, the piston passing.

through a suitable packing gland ID in the upper end of the cylinder and carrying the lower die support I2. The die support is provided with tubular extensions or sleeves l4 at each side adapted to receive guide rods l6. The guide rods are secured to the sleeves by nuts ll. These guide rods pass through guides l8 carried by the cylinder block. Beyond the guides l8 the rods carry sleeves 20, which are retained on the lower ends of the rods by nuts 2| (see Fig. 1). Coil springs 22 surround the guide rods between sleeves l4 and guides I8. Similar coil springs 23 surround the rods below the guides l8, and are received in sleeves 20. Engagement of sleeves 20 with the lower face of guides l8 limits the upper movement of the lower die support.

The upper side of the die support is provided with a recess 24 and this recess receives the die 26. As shown, the die is provided with a flange 28 at its lower end and is held in the die support by a retaining ring 30. The retaining ring is provided with external screw threads adapted to engage the internal threads in the recess 24 as shown-at 32. The die 26 is thus capable of movement in the recess but its outward movement is limited by the'flange 28. It is normally retained in the outer position by a coil spring 34 which engages the bottom of the die and is received in a recess in the piston 8. The die is also provided with a projection 36 on its upper surface of a diameter equal to the opening in leather disc and of a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the leather.

The upper die structure is supported from the frame 38 of the machine by an upper supporting plate 40 to which the upper cylinder 42 is secured by bolts 44. A die member 46 is connected to a central supporting member 48 arranged in cylinder 42 by threaded connection 50 and the supporting member 48 is threaded into the upper supporting plate 40, as indicated at 52. Surrounding the member 48 within the cylinder 42 is a sleeve piston 54. The lower end of the piston extends through a packing gland 56 in the end of the cylinder and a movable die support 58 is secured thereto, as by threads 60. The movable support 58 carries a sleeve-like die member 62 which surrounds the stationary die 46. The

lower end of the sleeve 'die is beveled as at 64;.

3 and the lower end of the stationary die member is provided with a recess 66 to receive the projection 36 on the upper face of the lower die member. The movable die support 58 is provided with extensions 68 at each side and guide rods are passed through openings in these extensions and held in place by nuts I2. The

cylinder 42 is. provided with guides M having openings for the passage of the guide rods 1'0. Coil springs 16 and 18 are arranged above and below the guides M.

Fig. 1).

and die 52 is limited by stops l H);

die. These members are mounted in brackets l M carried by the frame of the machine, and areretained in adjusted position by lock nuts H6.

Suitable means. are providedfor. delivering fiuid'su-oh as. air, under pressure to the upperand. lower cylinders. As. shown, 1 a valve. 82 con-.- trols the flow of air to. the lower-cylinder, andi theexhanst therefrom, and: this valveds-operated by-a suitable operating han'dle84. Air is'deliv ered fromv a suitable source indicated. at gfi'atothe: valve through a pipe. 88 andiiromthe. valve. the air is conveyed. through. a. pipe 90. to the air: inlet 92. adjacent the bottom of thecylinder." A. second branch pipe .ll iextendstfrom the source8li to valve 96' which controls the'fiow: of air to. the upper cylinder. This.valvezisprovided with; a; suitable operating handletQBtL Fromtheivalve axpipe ltfi extendstov inlet;..lll2 of the upper cylinder.

The leather disc, from which the cup is made, isshown in Fig. Softhe drawingsconsistingaoff a: disc D of a diameter toproduce a packingcupof the desired size. and provided with a central: opening E, if the packing cup, is:to have an. open-- ing to permit it to be. arranged. on a; pump: IOdi orthe like. ihe packing. cup=is-shown in Fig; 7 of: the drawings and designated generally; bythe:

letter, C. It consists of aflange Fandia bottom Bi.

The upper edge of the flange is. beveled as. at E; as is the, usualpractice in' the construotionof. suclm packing cups. ihe innerv faceof'the flanged? may: also beknurled by providing: suitable knnrling om thelower portion Hi l of the ,stationaryupper di'ei member The method of forming, the packing cupswilli rent from the foregoing description: The; embers 26, lE- and 82. arereplaceable tapers mit: the proper die members, to beusedfor: thei sizeand type of packing cup tobe made.- Thus;v the lower die member can be; removed by first removing theretaining ring wand: replaced-1 by a die member of another size. Likewise, the; upperdie member'canbe removedby, unscrewing from the supporting member at 50." The sleeve. die may be replaced by removing the supportrfifl and the, sleeve die and substituting a sleevedie; ofthe proper. size together withasuppont. having: an opening of the proper size to receive the sleeve die. In making a packing cup with-;, a: central: opening, a lower die" is employed-1'having-a.sproe; jection of the samesize as the-'centralzopenr. ingtin the disc and inthe finished-icupaandzthe; upperdie member t6 isprovided-withi'a-corree sponding. recess or depression 66. When-a packs ing cup is to be madewithout acentraltopening; a lower. die member is .used Which:has-.a*.fiatupper surfaceand an upper, diemember. 46. is-alsdused having a flat lower face.

The springs 18 are retained on the rods above the guides by nuts 80.--.(see:

With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the disc D is placed on the lower die member, valve 84 opened to deliver air to the lower cylinder 4. The die support i2 is raised, bringing the lower die in contact with the upper stationary die 46, as indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and further movement of the lower die srip eorir'causes.- the lower: di'e member" to move inwardly in the support against the compression of coil spring 34, thus shaping the outer portion of the disc between the retaining ring 39 and the side. of. the upper die member to form the flange For the cup. During this movement, the springs 23 1 are placed under compression and cushion-the movement of the die support and die:- When the lower die member has moved upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings and the leather forming the flange F of-"- the cup is substantially entirely within the retaining ring, the valve 9% is opened to deliver air: to: the upper: cylinder ll-.2 This moves the sleeve die member 62:.downwardly bringing its: bea ded lower edge 5.4 "into. contact with the edge of the flange and forming the beveled: edge E on the; flange of the. cup; During-.thismovement, thewupper diemem-ber is cushionedby compres:-, sion of the.spring-:'l8-.; At the end; of theoperation, the air is exhausted; from the: two cylinders and the compressed springs 23 :'and. 18 move the: die members back to their-initial positions, this. movement being cushioned by thessprings; 22 and Hi.

I claim:

1'. Apparatus'ior molding cups .ofleather-or thezlike comprising ;a pair of: aligned cylinders, a. piston in one of the; cylinders, a die support: carried by the piston, a die yieldingly mounted. in the.- support, a: stationary dievsupport'edvfrom the other cylinder inalignmentwith the-movable=- die,1a.piston in-thev secondcylinder, a die-support carried.- therebih, a cylindricalv die surrounding the: stationary die and. carried-by: the die-support, pipes to. deliver fluid undenpressure tolthe cy-line, dens and valves arranged in. each. of the pipes.

2..Apparatus:forv moldingcups of leather-or the: like. comprising. ayieldingly supported lower die. an. upper diein alignment. with the lowerdie, a-. cylindrical. die-surrounding, the; upper die, pain of. alignedcylinders; pistons in. the: cylinders, one:

' of the pistons being connected to one of the first.

tWQmentioneddies and one tothe cylindrical die, pipes. to. deliver fluid under. pressure to i the cylinders, and valves arranged in each of the pipes.

3.. Apparatusfor moldin -cupsofleather or the like comprising apair of aligned cylinders, apis tonin. one of.-the.-cylinders,.adiesupport carried by, the piston,,.a. dieyieldingiy mounted-in the: support, a. stationary dierig-idlyomounteclin the: second cylinder, a piston. in the, second. cylinder surrounding. thestationarydie, a die support carried thereby, a. cylindrical die, surrounding the.

stationary die and carried by the die support,-,a;v

pipe connected .to-eachci the; cylinders to deliver fluid under pressure thereto,.and-a valve arranged in each-of thepipes.

4. Apparatus for molding cups of leathenzon the..like.. comprisinga. pair of aligned cylinders, apistornin. one of. the cylinders. a. die: supportcarriedlby. the. piston, a. die .yieldinglt-mounted in. the support, a stationary die rigidly mountedin. the second cylinde1:,.apistoninv theseconds cylinder surrounding thestationary. die, a die support. carried thereby, a-.cylindrical.- die surrounding the stationary die and carriedi'bw,thediesupportga: pipe eonnectedito .eachiofrthe cylinders tmdeliver fluid under pressure thereto, a valve arranged in each of the pipes, guide rods carried by the die supports, and guides carried by the cylinders through which the guide rods pass.

5. Apparatus for moldin cups of leather or the like comprising a pair of aligned cylinders, a piston in one of the cylinders, a die support carried by the piston, a die yieldingly mounted in the support, a stationary die rigidily mounted in the second cylinder, a piston in the second cylinder surrounding the stationary die, a die support carried thereby, a cylindrical die surrounding the stationary die and carried by the die support, a pipe connected to each of the cylinders to deliver fiuid under pressure thereto, a valve arranged in each of the pipes, guide rods carried by the die supports, guides carried by the cylinders through REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,491,687 Flagg Apr. 22, 1924 1,667,673 Pierson et al Apr. 24, 192B 

